Valve



Oct. 27, 1936.

-P F. KREUZER ET AL VALVE Filed Oct. 1, 1934 v INVENTOR5 v ATTORNEY,"

Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES VALVE Paul F. Kreuzer, Lakewood, and Charles F. Schultis, Cleveland, Ohio,

Brass Manufacturing Company,

assignors to The. Royal Cleveland,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 1,

9 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in drain valves for bath-tubs and the like of the type disclosed in Patent No. 1,943,628 which issued to Charles F. Schultis, one of the co -inventors of this present invention, and has specific reference to means whereby the outlet valve is lifted from its seat vertically and means whereby said valve is held in open position by a manipulation of the operating handle in either direction. We have secured said desired results with a minimum obstruction to the effective cross area of the conduits connecting the drain, and the overflow, to the main outfall conduit, and provide an installation which may be removed for inspection or repair through the outlet orifice without disturbing any part of the permanent installation. Other objects and advantages of our invention will appear from the description of the means employed and of the manner of operating same.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Certain mechanism embodying our invention is set forth in the annexed drawing and the following description, which disclosed means however, constitute but one of the mechanical forms in which the principle of our invention may be used.

In the annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the apparatus comprising our invention shown associated with a fragmentary section of a bath tub; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the manipulating portion of our invention shown in Fig. 1 taken on a plane substantially indicated by the line 2-2 therein; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the outlet valve taken on a plane substantially indicated by the line 33 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a view of the manipulating shaft and its associated parts dis-assembled; Fig. 5 is a View of the lever member by which the outlet valve is operated. 7

Referring to said drawing, and specifically to- Fig. l, the apparatus comprising our invention is shown associated with a bathtub, aportion of which is diagrammatically shown at I. Obviously, the apparatus may be similarly used with any other container having overflow and drain openings. The drain. orifice of the bathtub I is indicated generally at 2 and the overflow orifice is indicated generally at 3. The drain orifice 2 has an outfall conduit 4 associated therewith with a fitting I3 therebetween. The overflow orifice 3 has an outfall conduit 5 associated therewith with a fitting I6 therebetween. The outfall conduits 4 1934, Serial No. 746,348

and 5 merge in a fitting 6 from which the main outfall 1 extends.

Around the drain orifice 2 is a coni-form valve seat 8 within which a valve member is reciprocated vertically. This valve member comprises a head, or valve proper 9, which is provided with an outer edge complementary to said valve seat, depending radially arranged intersecting plates Ill with outside edges loosely engaging the inner circumference of said valve seat 8, and a depending arm I I in which is a slot I2.

In the fitting I3 connecting the drain orifice 2 of the .tubwith the outfall conduit 4 is a seat 32, located adjacent the connection with said conduit and transverse thereof, which seat is adapted to receive a short cylindrical member. 33. Mounted on the upper side of said cylindrical member 33 is a curved lever 34 which passes through. the slot I 2 in the dependent arm I I. A pin 35 through the end of said lever 34 prevents the withdrawal of the valve member, which carries the dependent arm II, off the end of said lever 34.

.Also mounted on the upper side of said member 33, and approximately at right angles to said lever 34, is an apertured stud 36. A short forked rod I4 is pivotally connected to said stud 36 by a pin 31.

A flexible cable I5 is affixed to a short threaded plug I4 which is adjustably inserted in a threaded axial aperture in the free end of the short rod I4. This cable passes from the conduit 4, through-the fitting 6, up the conduit 5, and ends within the fitting I6 where it is affixed to a short threaded plug 24 which is adjustably inserted in a threaded axial aperture in the lower end of another short rod 24, the upper end of which is transverse- 1y apertured for a purpose hereinafter explained.

The fitting I6 is secured about the overflow orifice 3 in a manner well understood by those familiar with the art. A short bar I8, carrying a trunnion I I which has an axially extending ear 29, is mounted across the overflow orifice by means of screws 3| which affix it to'said fitting I6. Studs 36 on one face of the said bar engage suitable notches in said fitting I6 and further assist in maintaining said bar and its associated members in operative position. Mounted through said trunnion I! is a rotatable shaft 2| upon the end of which within the bathtub'is a manipulating handle 22. The other end of said shaft 2 I, within the fitting I6, terminates in a bell-crank arm 23 which passes through the aperture in the upper end of the rod 24, and is held by a cotter pin through the hole 25 in the end of said'bell-cr'ank arm. Mounted on the shaft 2| intermediate the trunnion H and the bell-crank arm 23 is a washer 26 upon the circumference of which is a radial stud 28. Affixed on the face of the washer 26 extending toward the bell-crank arm 23 and encompassing same is a segment of an axially-extending ring 21.

The supporting bar I8 threadably receives a screw I9 which secures a shield 20 over the overflow orifice. This shield is suitably apertured to permit the passage of overflow water.

As will readily appear from Fig. l, the valve 9 for the drain orifice 2, when closed, will be, with its associated parts, in the position shown in dotted lines. The manipulating handle 22 and the bell-crank arm 23 on the opposite end of shaft 2| will be in the dotted position shown, i. e., will point downward. To open the drain-valve 9 the handle 22 is manipulated in either direction. Through the shaft 2! and bell-crank arm 23 this movement lifts the short rod 24 and draws on the cable l5. When the bell-crank arm 23 is turned with the shaft 2| through a short arc, it encounters an end of the segmental ring 21 carried on the washer 26 and rotates said washer with said shaft until the stud 28 on the washer 26 encounters the stud 29 on the trunnion H. The relation of the several parts is such that this encounter occurs just after the handle 22 and its associated parts have been turned past an arc of Further advance movement is impossible and the handle will not drop in the opposite direction until it has been moved reversely into the 180 arc.

As the bell-crank arm 23 was moved to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, i. e., through an arc of 180, it exerted its maximum pull on the cable l5. This pull exerted through the stud 36 rolls the cylindrical member 33 in its bearing 32 and the attached curved lever 34 is lifted and encounters the upper limit of the slot [2 in the dependent arm H and lifts said arm and the associated parts of the valve member. The outside edges of the radial planes I0 insure a vertical movement through their contact with the inner edge of the valve seat 8.

To close the valve 9, the handle 22 is moved in the opposite direction to that used in opening and the bell-crank arm 23 returning to the dotted position releases the tension on the cable I 5. The weight of the valve member presses downward on the lever 34 and rotates the member 33 until its associated parts are in the dotted position shown in Fig. 1. This movement permits the valve head 9 to slide down onto the valve seat 8.

The removal of the means for operating the drain valve is easily effected as follows: After removal of the handle 22 from the shaft 2 I, the plate 20 is removed, then the screws 3! holding the supporting bar I8 in place across the mouth of the fitting 16 are removed. The trunnion and. bell-crank may then be drawn from the fitting far enough to permit detaching the short rod 24 from the bell-crank arm. The valve 9 may now be drawn from the drain orifice 2 and the several connected parts will follow therethrough.

In re-assembling the parts are re-inserted through the drain orifice 2 in the reverse order, the member 33 placed in its seat 32 and the upper end of the cable re-connected to the arm of the bell-crank and the parts about the overflow orifice returned to original position. It will be observed that an inclined abutment 38 is placed on the wall of the fitting 6 opposite the conduit 4 that the short rod 24 on the end of the cable I4 may be guided upward instead of downward.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the means stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent thereof, be employed.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention:-

1. In apparatus as described in combination, a valve element adapted to seat in the drain orifice of a container such as a bathtub, said element comprising a valve head, dependent guides restricting lineal movement of the valve to a vertical direction, and a dependent slotted arm; a coupling connecting the drain orifice with the main out-fall, said coupling having a half-bearing in the bottom thereof transverse to the direction of valve movement; a member removably and rotatably mounted in said half bearing, said member comprising a part having a segment of a cylindrical surface fitted in said half bearing, a forwardly extending lever engaging the slot in said arm and restrained therewithin by lateral projections on said lever, and a rearwardly extending lever, a device for manipulating said valve, and a fiexible cable connecting said last named lever and said device, said device being adapted on operating to exert a pull on said cable.

2. In apparatus as described, a device for manipulating a remote valve closing the drain outlet of a container such as a bathtub, comprising a shaft rotatably mounted in a bearing and terminating in a bell-crank arm to which is attached a flexible cable connecting with the valve to be operated, said bearing carrying an axial projection, and a washer rotatably mounted on said shaft between said bearing and said bellcrank arm, said washer being adapted to be engaged by said arm and rotated therewith after same has been rotated through a small arc, and adapted to engage said projection on said hearing when the rotation of said arm has been through an arc exceeding 180.

3. In apparatus for emptying a bath-tub and the like, in combination, drainage piping, comprising an overflow pipe, a drain pipe and a T socket through which said pipes connect with a main out-fall pipe; a wire cable within said piping; an over-flow coupling connecting said overflow pipe with an orifice in the wall of the tub; a drain coupling connecting said drain pipe with an orifice in the bottom of the tub; a valve seat about said last-named orifice; a complementary valve head mounted for vertical engagement with said seat, said valve head having dependent vertical members adapted to guide its movement; a slotted dependent arm mounted centrally of said head below said vertical members; a half-bearing seat in the bottom of said drain coupling; a roller adapted to oscillatably rest in said half-bearing seat, said roller having aflixed thereto in angular relation two levers, one of which passes through said slotted arm and. is restrained therewithin by a pin mounted transversely through said lever, and the other of which is pivotally attached to the lower end of said wire cable; an element mounted across the orifice in the wall of the tub; a bearing through said element; an axially projecting ear adjacent said bearing; a shaft rotatably mounted through said bearing; a bell-crank on the end of said shaft within said overflow coupling; a pivoted detachable connection between said bell crank and the upper end of said cable; and a washer rotatably mounted on said shaft between said bearing and said bell-crank, said washer having on one face two projecting surfaces diametrically disposed and adapted to alternately engage the radial member of the bellcrank as said shaft is oscillated, and having on its edge a radially extending finger adapted to engage said ear beside said bearing as said shaft is rotated through a predetermined arc.

4. In apparatus for emptying a bath-tub and the like, in combination, drainage piping, comprising an overflow pipe, a drain pipe and a T socket through which said pipes connect with a main out-fall pipe; a wire cable within said piping; an over-flow coupling connecting said overflow pipe with an orifice in the wall of the tub; a drain coupling connecting said drain pipe with an orifice in the bottom of the tub; a valve seat about said last-named orifice; a complementary valve head mounted for vertical engagement with said seat, said valve head having dependent vertical members adapted to guide its movement; a

slotted dependent arm mounted centrally of said head below said vertical members; a half-bearing seat in the bottom of said drain coupling; a roller adapted to oscillatably rest in said half-bearing seat, said roller having afiixed thereto in angular relation two levers, one of which passes through said slotted arm and is restrained therewithin by a pin mounted transversely through said lever, and the other of which is pivotally attached to the lower end of said wire cable; and means mounted through the first named orifice whereby said cable may be alternately retracted and re leased, said means including a detachable connection with said cable.

5. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a bath-tub and the like having drain and overflow orifices, of a branched conduit associated with said orifices, a valve seat asso ciated with said drain orifice, a valve for said drain orifice, said valve having dependent elements adapted to restrain it from movement other than vertical and rotative and having a slotted dependent arm centrally located below said elements, a roller oscillatably mounted in a depression in the inner periphery of the drain branch of said conduit to one side of said valve and transversely of the movement thereof, a lever mounted on said roller and extending through the slot in said arm within which it is restrained by a pin mounted transversely of said lever, a second lever mounted on said roller in angular relation with said first lever, a manipulating handle mounted to extend into said overflow orifice, a wire cable through said conduit and operably connecting said handle and said lastnamed lever for actuating said roller whereby said valve is lifted off its seat.

6. In apparatus as described, in combination, a valve head seated in the drain outlet of a bathtub, said valve head having a centrally disposed dependent lug with a slotted aperture therein; a half bearing seat in the drain means below said drain outlet; an operating device for said valve head comprising a flexible cable passing upward through the drain means of the tub, a roller,

oscillatably and loosely resting in said half bearing seat, two levers mounted on said roller in angular relation, one engaging said slotted aperture and one attached to said flexible cable and a pin set transversely in the end of the lever engaging said slotted aperture retaining said lever therewithin, whereby said roller and said cable may be lifted from the drain outlet with said valve head; and a manipulating handle removably engaging the other end of said cable, said handle being removably mounted through the overflow orifice of the tub through which it may be detached from said cable.

7. In apparatus as described, a device for manipulating a remote valve closing the drain outlet of a container such as a bath tub, comprising a shaft, rotatably mounted in a bearing and carrying a bell-crank arm to which is attached flexible means connecting with the valve to be operated; a fixed stop in spaced radial relation with the axis of said shaft; and a washer rotatably mounted on said shaft between the bearing thereof and said bell-crank arm, said washer having a portion so shaped that its face engages said arm during rotation of said shaft, and having a portion so shaped that it presents a face which engages said fixed stop when said arm is rotated through a predetermined arc.

8. In apparatus as described, a device for manipulating a remote valve closing the drain outlet of a container such as a bathtub, comprising a shaft rotatably mounted in a bearing and carrying an operating handle and a bellcrank arm to which is attached flexible means connecting with the valve to be operated; a Washer rotatably mounted on said shaft between its bearing and said crank arm; and a fixed element so shaped and positioned that it engages and holds said washer after it is rotated through a predetermined are, said washer carrying a shaped portion engageable by said fixed element, and another shaped portion engageable by said bell-crank arm whereby the said washer is rotated with said arm until it has rotated through said predetermined arc and engaged said fixed element.

9. In apparatus as described, a device for manipulating a remote valve closing the drain outlet of a container such as a bathtub, comprising a shaft rotatably mounted in a bearing, said shaft carrying an operating handle and a bell-crank arm to which is attached flexible means connecting with the valve to be operated; a washer rotatably mounted on said shaft adjacent said crank arm; a fixed stop so mounted as to engage and hold said washer after it is rotated in either direction through predetermined arcs, said washer having an element mounted thereon engageable by said fixed stop, and having spaced faces on shaped portions thereof engageable by said bell-crank arm whereby the said washer is rotated as the shaft is revolved in either direction until said stop intercepts and holds said 

